1 month ago
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Budget carrier Cebu Pacific flew over 5.6 million passengers to and from Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in 2024, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the airport’s total passenger traffic.
MCIA saw 11.3 million passengers in 2024, a 13 percent markup from the previous year’s 10.03 million.
In a statement, Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao said the airline’s continued growth in Cebu reflects the growing demand for affordable air travel in Central Visayas.
He noted that Cebu Pacific’s flights to and from Cebu grew by 34.7 percent—from 3,580 flights in January 2024 to 4,824 in January 2025.
During the same period, the airline’s seat capacity saw a 51.6 percent jump from nearly 473,000 to over 717,000 seats.
“By increasing our flights and seat capacity, we are not only connecting more passengers but also supporting tourism, trade, and economic opportunities across the region,” said Lao.
The official said this growth aligns with Cebu Pacific’s mission to provide more accessible travel options to passengers, making it easier to connect Filipinos across the country and beyond.
The budget carrier currently offers direct flights to 24 domestic destinations from MCIA.
It also carries six international destinations from the airport, namely Hong Kong, Bangkok (Don Mueang), Incheon, Tokyo (Narita), Osaka (Kansai), and Singapore.
In total, Cebu Pacific operates in 37 domestic and 26 international destinations spanning Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
The airline recently announced that it is scaling up operations at its Clark International Airport hub with the upcoming launch of direct flights to Palawan’s El Nido and Coron.
This follows an advisory from the Manila Slot Coordination Committee (MSCC) to gradually relocate turboprop aircraft operations out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
